There is a recognized need for long endurance aeronautical operations that can, for example, provide persistent surveillance, maintain a communication link, or make in situ science measurements over an extended period of time comprising weeks, months or even years without maintaining a physical connection to the ground, a ship, or a maritime platform. However, current aircraft have limited endurance for free-flight operations, whether those operations involve flight over an extended route, or stationkeeping at a station, or a combination of the two. Consequently, extended aeronautical operations typically involve cycling through multiple aircraft. Specifically, while one or more aircraft is/are performing, the intended mission, one or more other aircraft is/are being refueled and possibly refurbished on the ground (or perhaps on a ship, or on a maritime platform). This can be both expensive and hazardous. The take off and landing of aircraft are typically the highest risk portions of a mission, and each takeoff and landing increases the risk of damage or loss of the aircraft and payload. This is particularly true for lighter-than-air aircraft that tend to be large and relatively slow-moving. As a consequence, there is a need to reduce the cost and risk of extended aeronautical free-flight operations.